


What a Catch

by Myoneloveismusic



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Aquarium AU, M/M, background birdflash as always, grautitous love of sharks, show mermaid au, show mermaid!Dick, show mermaid!Tim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-07-03 12:42:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15819096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myoneloveismusic/pseuds/Myoneloveismusic
Summary: Jason was enjoying an innocent day at the aquarium when he came in contact with a gorgeous looking show mermaid. In a bit of a spontaneous moment he decided to apply for a job at the same aquarium. Turns out that little bit of spontaneity was the best decision he could've ever made.





	What a Catch

**Author's Note:**

> I think I've been working on this fic for the past month or so and every second of it has been great. I'm very excited to be posting this fic on a fren's womb ejection day since they prompted it and there will hopefully be a little bit of art coming for it later. ;)
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> <3 MOLIM

Jason walked through the darkened hallways, eyes taking in the tanks filled with glowing jellyfish that illuminated purples, blues, pinks, and greens. The kids around him gasped in awe as they watched their translucent forms move gently through the still water. He felt a little silly going through an aquarium by himself. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d been to one and it had to have been when he was still a kid.

He passed through a low archway into a large tunnel and looked ever his head, eyes tracking sharks and other schools of fish swimming overhead in the huge tank. His lips parted as he took in the sheer amount of water that was over his head. He started to think about what would happen if it broke and immediately felt a little sick, trying to push those thoughts to the side.

Jason heard excited gasps and chatter that was obviously coming from a group of small children. He looked to the side and found a small group clustered close to the glass. Those in front had their faces pressed close to the glass, peering through at what was inside.

Jason blinked when he caught sight of something half-pale and half-bright red-orange that was definitely not fish-like. He stepped closer to the group and froze. There was a show mermaid in front of the glass. He had a string of colorful shells around his neck and there was an orange sea star clipped into his hair that was like the lighter patches on his tail.

He was grinning at the kids and waving at them jovially as his hair wafted in the water around his head. He kicked his tail, rising a foot in the water and Jason watched as bubbles came out of his nose.

The kids immediately rallied, trying to call him back, thinking he was going to leave them. His eyes roved over the group and landed on Jason who was standing behind them. He waved at him, eyes sparkling in the water.

Jason stared open-mouthed and a little dazed. He raised his hand and waved back, feeling his face flush at the beautiful smile and wave he got in return. He watched as the show mermaid pursed his lips, body shaking slightly in the water.

He turned his attention back to the kids and gave them one last wave before he kicked his tail and swam in a loop, floating around the other fish towards another portion of the glass.

Jason was rooted to the spot as he watched the mermaid interact with another group. Some adults waved at him kindly and many kids tripped over themselves to press up against the glass to try and get a closer look. The mermaid swam down and pressed his hand against the glass on the opposite side of one of the kids, making them gasp and squeal in delight.

Jason felt himself smile. The sight was endearing. He glanced to the side and found one of the aquarium workers watching him, eyes sharp. He had an odd expression on his face and Jason swallowed, suddenly feeling like he was doing something very wrong.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and turned on his heel, trying to keep calm and let his eyes rove over the rest of the tunnel as he made his way into the next room.

Jason looked at the other fish in the aquarium and knew he was registering them on some level. He stared at dolphins and eels and even got to touch the back of a sting ray in one of the interactive pools, but his mind was still stuck on the show mermaid that he’d first seen in the large tank.

Without letting himself think about it too much, he spun on his heel and made his way back through the various rooms. He stepped into the large tunnel, eyes going into the water around him as he searched for the flash of red-orange that he’d practically memorized at this point.

He didn’t see him in front of him and turned to face the other side of the tank. He was off in the distance, swimming around as more small children stared at him in awe. He ducked down and floated in front of the glass, waving at the small kids.

His eyes moved over the other people in the tunnel and landed on Jason and he saw them widen slightly, his smile faltering as he blinked at him. Jason’s blush returned in full force and he cleared his throat even though the worker couldn’t hear him. He cut his eyes away and stuffed his hands into his pockets before glancing back.

The mermaid was watching him with a small smile on his lips and Jason bit his lip as the corners of his mouth quirked up in a smile.

The parent or teacher with the group of kids ushered them away and into the next room. Jason glanced around and found there were only a few other people in the tunnel with him. After a moment of hesitation, he stepped forward, closing the distance between himself and the opposite wall of glass.

He stopped in front of the mermaid who was still watching him. He smiled and quirked an eyebrow. Jason lifted his hand and pressed it to the glass. The mermaid grinned and placed his hand on the other side.

A flash of blue caught his eye and he looked to the side as another show mermaid descended and placed a hand on the shoulder of the mermaid in front of Jason. He looked back and smiled. The new mermaid started signing something and he nodded, signing back his answer.

He turned back to Jason and waved before swimming off. Jason watched him go, unable to tear his eyes away despite the new worker who’d seen him.

A knock sounded on the glass and Jason jolted, looking at the new mermaid in front of him. He grinned and pointed down the glass towards the end of the room. Jason flushed, finally taking his hand from where it was still resting on the glass and hurried away.

He retraced his steps through the rest of the aquarium when an announcement sounded over the speakers.

_“Attention all guests, our mermaid show is going to be starting in thirty minutes. If you would like to attend, please make your way to the large show tank near the end of the aquarium’s exhibits.”_

Jason paused before he hurried off, searching for the large tank they were talking about. He’d turned back before he made it there the first time, but he found several people already sitting on the bleachers that were positioned near the top of the tank. Jason found an empty seat and sat down between different families and small children.

His position allowed them to see below and above the water line. The tank was empty of any other fish for the moment and Jason’s eyes searched the water, hoping his hunch was right. Or he’d at least understood what the second show mermaid had been trying to tell him.

Jason waited anxiously as the minutes ticked by and the rest of the seats filled with the other spectators.

“Welcome everyone!”

Jason’s eyes snapped to the floor where one of the aquarium workers was standing, a microphone in her hand as she smiled and waved at the crowd.

“I’m glad you could all make it to today’s show! We have many exciting things planned with our special mermaid guest: Timothy!”

Jason saw a blur of red-orange in the tank and looked to find the mermaid from earlier, twisting and turning as he darted out of an alcove that was hidden further in. He approached the glass of the tank and waved at the audience, doing a loop around the perimeter of the glass before he came to a stop next to where the worker was standing.

The worker turned and waved at him and he waved back.

“How are you today Timothy?” she asked.

He gave a thumbs-up and smiled.

“Are you ready to show us some of your amazing tricks?” she asked.

Tim nodded eagerly and several of the small kids in the audience clapped.

“Well, I think we’re all excited to see what you can do,” the woman continued. “I think some of the kids would like to see you do a flip. Wouldn’t you?” she asked the audience.

Jason paid the screaming kids no mind, his eyes focused solely on Timothy. He grinned and kicked backwards, doing a simple backflip in the water.

“I think you can do better than that!” she cried. “I’m sure these kids would like to see something more impressive.”

Timothy shrugged.

“Come on, Tim!” she said. “What can I do to convince you?”

He tapped his chin like he was in great thought than snapped his fingers even though it didn’t make a sound. He mimed the shape of something.

“A dolphin?” the worker asked. “You’ll do it if we give you a dolphin?”

He shook his head, emphasizing the top fin before he bared his teeth.

“A shark?” she asked.

Tim nodded eagerly.

“Well, okay…” she said, feigning discontent for the audience.

Jason leaned forward as two masses of gray swam into the tank. They did a quick lap around as Tim spun around to watch them. They slowed their pace and brushed close to Tim as Jason held his breath. Tim reached out with deft fingers and dragged them along the sides of the sharks.

Jason sighed, sagging in relief when they did nothing but swim lazy circles around the man.

“Well, Timothy,” the worker continued, pretending to sound impressed. “Show us what you’ve got!”

She stepped back as music poured from the speakers around the small room. Tim swam backwards doing a backflip in the water to get further away from the glass of the tank. The sharks separated, each going to one end of the tank as Tim made his way to the center.

Tim looked at both the sharks and Jason squinted as he saw something glint in Tim’s hand. He pressed his thumb and forefinger together. The sharks turned and kicked their tails powerfully, hurtling towards the center of the tank where Tim was.

Jason watched, eyes wide and unable to blink as Tim kicked his own tail, just barely getting out of the way of both in time. The sharks turned, and Tim dived, swimming between them before he turned and kicked backwards, going in a circle around the one in front.

The sharks swam in a circle as Tim continued to swim loops around them. Many members of the audience clapped. The sharks straightened and swam along the length of the tank, Tim between them. When they’d almost reached the wall, the sharks parted, swimming diagonally down as Tim swam up.

He extended his hand, fingers grazing the water line as he swam on his back before diving sharply backwards. The sharks swam up to meet him, but instead of moving down between them, Tim cut to the side, avoiding them.

The sharks did the same motion as Tim, grazing the water line as Tim dived to the bottom of the tank. He righted himself and paused for a moment, grinning at the audience. He raised one of his arms and one of the sharks broke off, heading for him.

Jason watched, holding his breath as the shark approached. It swam under Tim’s arm and pulled him along towards the end of the tank. Tim kicked his tail, taking some of the drag and his weight off the shark.

He released his grip as they approached the wall, the shark turning up as the second one dived and took hold of Tim, pulling him in the other direction. They didn’t stop at the opposite wall, the shark turning towards the top of the tank and pulling Tim upwards.

When they’d almost reached the water line, Tim let go as the shark changed direction. He shot out of the water and arched before diving back under, twisting and turning as he dived to the floor of the tank.

The sharks swam lazily around the tank as the audience broke into wild applause. Tim grinned at them, bowing slightly in the water.

“Wonderful! Absolutely spectacular!” the worker from earlier said as she walked towards the center of the tank to where Tim was positioned. “Everyone, give it up for our mermaid Timothy!”

Applause and cheers rose up from everyone in the audience and Jason found himself clapping along like everyone else despite the daze he was in. The sharks did one more turn around Tim, his hands running along their sides before they disappeared, called back to their own tanks.

Tim gave one last wave before he turned and swam off, disappearing from the tank.

The crowd around Jason meandered to their feet, leaving the seats and the auditorium behind. Jason stared at the water for a few minutes, only managing to pull himself from his position when he would’ve looked too suspicious to stay.

He walked into the next room and found one last tank, spotting the exit to the lobby and the gift shop ahead. With a sense of curiosity he hadn’t had since he was a child, he wandered into the gift shop, looking over the accessories and stuffed animals kids were fawning over.

Jason moved over the shelves of stuffed animals a group of kids were standing in front of. He picked up a gray shark that resembled the ones Tim had been swimming with during his show. The plush was soft and gave easily in his hands.

He barely mulled it over before he was walking to the counter. He paused in line behind a large family with three small kids holding different stuffed fish they’d seen during their trip to the aquarium. They took the next open register and Jason waited patiently as an elderly woman slowly passed her money to the cashier.

When she was finished, Jason stepped forward and slid his stuffed shark across the counter. The worker didn’t comment, just rang up the total in a bland voice. Jason handed over the money and was glad to escape with his newly bagged purchase.

The sun was blinding when he stepped out of the aquarium and he ignored the nagging in the back of his mind that questioned what in the hell he was doing.

~~

Jason had his feet propped up on the coffee table. His laptop was in his lap and his arm was resting on top of the stuffed shark. He was scrolling through the website of the aquarium he’d been at when he froze. There was an orange link proclaiming “We’re Hiring!”

He bit his lip, glancing down at the shark beside him before he clicked on the link, taking him to a page listing their recent job postings. He read through them quickly, bypassing the ones for the cashiers and ticket takers.

“Show assistant?” he questioned, mouse hovering over the hyperlink. His interest won out and he clicked the posting, taking him to a new page with the job posting and requirements. He was surprised by how few requirements there were.

Jason clicked on the apply button and started filling out the application before he could give too much thought to it.

His cursor hovered over the submit button when he’d filled out everything that was required of him. He let out a breath before hitting the button. He exited out of the page before he could regret what he was doing and pulled up Netflix. He played the show he’d been watched and pushed himself off the couch, carrying his laptop into the kitchen so he could watch his show while he put something together for dinner.

It wasn’t until he was sitting down at the table with a bowl of pasta that his phone vibrated. He unlocked it and found he had a new email in his inbox. He had a confirmation email that his application had been submitted through the portal.

Jason deleted the email and set his phone to the side. He figured nothing was going to come out of it anyway. He was sure they weren’t that desperate for people and there was no guarantee they were going to pick him over someone else.

~~

Jason groaned when his phone started ringing. He pushed himself up on his elbow and blinked his eyes, trying to clear the sleep so he could see. He rolled onto his stomach and grabbed his phone from the bedside table, swiping his thumb across the screen.

“Hello?” he answered, trying not to sound as though he just woke up.

“Good morning, my name is Kristy Johnson. I’m looking for Jason Todd.”

“Speaking,” he said, sitting back on his heels now that he was more awake.

“Mr. Todd, I’m calling because you recently submitted an application to the Gotham aquarium and we’d like to bring you in for an interview if you’re still interested.”

Jason’s mouth opened and closed a few times.

“Mr. Todd?”

“Yes,” he answered. “Yes, I’m still interested.”

“Wonderful!” she said. “I know this may seem sudden, but are you free this afternoon to come in for an interview?”

“Yes,” he said. “Of course.”

“Excellent. Does two o’clock work for you?”

“It does,” he said, still trying to figure out if he was still dreaming.

“Then I will see you this afternoon. Report to the customer service desk inside the entrance and they can have someone bring you back to the office. Have a wonderful day.”

“You too,” Jason said before hanging up. He stared down at his phone in his hands, wondering what the hell had just happened.

He shook his head and pushed himself out of bed, trying to figure out what he was going to wear to a job interview. He pulled open the doors of his closet and stared at what was inside. He had a lot of work to do.

~~

Jason bit his lip as he looked over the entrance to the aquarium. It was strange being back after visiting the day before, and because of a job interview no less. He felt out of place in his button down and nicer black jeans. Slacks felt too formal. He just hoped the person interviewing him could forgive him for that.

He sidled his way over to the customer service desk and smiled at the woman working behind the counter.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

“Hi, I’ve got an interview. My name’s Jason Todd.”

She brightened. “Ah, yes, they told me you were stopping by. I can take you back to the interview room.” She collected a file from the desk and walked around, passing Jason. “Follow me,” she said over her shoulder.

Jason trailed after her, feeling even more self-conscious when they walked through a door marked “Employees Only.”

Everything was more muted in the hallway. The ceiling was low, only an inch between the top of Jason’s head and the tiles. The air was quiet around them and Jason almost felt like he would have to talk in a hushed voice.

“Here we are,” the woman said, pushing open a door to reveal a small room with a table. “Have a seat and I’ll go get Kristy for you.”

“Thank you,” he said.

She smiled and shut the door, leaving him alone. He sat down on the opposite side of the table so he could see the window on the door and waited, twiddling his thumbs in his lap.

He wasn’t sure how much time passed. The lack of windows made him feel cut off from the rest of the world and there wasn’t a clock in the room with him.

Two women appeared outside the door and they spoke for a moment, the one from customer service disappearing as the other woman opened the door.

“Good afternoon, Jason,” she said walking over to him.

Jason stood and shook her hand before they both took their seats.

“I’m Kristy and I’ll be conducting your interview today. I’d like to thank you for coming in on such short notice.”

“It wasn’t a problem,” Jason said, feeling a little embarrassed.

“You’re too kind,” she continued, opening the file on the table in front of her. She pulled out a pad of paper and a pen, writing something on the top of the sheet. “Let’s get started then, shall we?”

Jason nodded, feeling his palms start to sweat slightly where they rested in his lap. He tried to discreetly wipe them off as Kristy asked her first question.

~~

“Thank you again for coming in,” Kristy said as she walked him out to the main lobby. “You seem like a great match for our team and we’re excited that you’re going to be joining us.”

Jason smiled at her. “Of course, thank you for giving me this opportunity.”

She waved away his statement. “I’ll be sending you an email within the next day or so with the information on your new hire paperwork and your first steps, so keep an eye out.”

He nodded and she gave him a pat on the shoulder before disappearing into the depths of the building once again. Jason let out a breath before he turned on his heel and walked out of the building. He shoved his hands into his pockets and turned back towards his apartment.

Jason slowed to a stop when he caught sight of a coffee shop. He hummed, shifting his weight before he pushed the door open and walked inside. He barely spared a glance at the person walking away from the cashier and stepped up to place his order.

“What can I get you?” the man working the register asked.

“Can I get a large caramel iced coffee, please?” he asked, pulling out his wallet.

“Sure thing. That will be $3.19,” he said, bringing up the total.

Jason slid four dollars over the counter. “Keep the change.”

“Thanks!” he said brightly, slipping the bills into the register.

Jason smiled and walked to the end of the counter to wait for his drink. He rocked back on his heels as he watched the workers prep drinks and clean their stations.

A mop of black hair entered his vision as the man he’d seen before stepped in front of him to grab the coffee that was about to be set on the counter. Jason saw his iced coffee behind it and stepped forward, glancing down as the man in front of him turned.

His heart skipped a beat and his foot caught on the back of his pant leg, sending him careening. The man’s eyes widened, and he slipped out of the way just in time to avoid being crushed to the floor by Jason.

“Are you okay?!” he asked.

Jason stared up at him, dazed and realized he never expected the man’s voice to sound so smooth and sweet when he hadn’t heard him speak from inside the tank at the aquarium. He frowned and knelt next to Jason.

“You didn’t hit your head, did you?”

“Sir are you alright?” one of the workers asked, hurrying to his other side.

“Fine,” he forced out, unable to take his eyes off Tim. “I’m fine.”

“Wait a minute,” Tim murmured and leaned impossibly close as his eyes narrowed and searched Jason’s face. “You!”

Jason grimaced and failed to smile. “Hi?” he asked.

“You’re the guy from the aquarium yesterday,” he said, pointing a finger in his face.

Jason shrugged. “Yeah.”

Tim blinked at him for a moment before he started to chuckle. He put a hand in front of his mouth and Jason watched mesmerized as Tim’s eyes squeezed shut, crinkles forming at the sides of his lids as he shook and tried to contain his laughter. From what Jason could see of his smile it was beautiful, soft pink lips pulled back to reveal white teeth.

Jason cleared his throat and shifted in place where he was sitting on the ground.

“Sorry, sorry,” Tim said as his chuckles died down. “Here, let me give you a hand,” he said, standing form his crouch and holding out a hand to Jason.

He took it and was helped to his feet. Tim smiled at him and released his hand. Jason cleared his throat and turned, finally taking hold of his iced coffee that had been waiting for him as the baristas got back to work now that the excitement had passed.

“Not to knock you over and run or anything,” Tim started, “but my shift at the aquarium starts in a half hour and I have to go get suited up. It was nice to see you again though…”

“Jason,” he supplied as Tim trailed off.

Tim smiled. “Tim. Bye, Jason.”

He fought down the urge to say ‘I know’ and waved Tim off as he left the coffee shop behind, turning in the direction Jason had just come from. He ran a hand through his hair and shuffled out of the shop, feeling embarrassed and enamored all at once. Hopefully the next time he saw Tim, he wouldn’t be that big of a disaster.

If he saw Tim again.

~~

Jason followed his supervisor around in a daze as he got a tour of the facilities, struggling to commit it all to memory.

“You’re going to be helping with all of the shows,” she continued as they turned another corner to come up behind the big show tank that he’d been sitting in front of just the other day. “So that means animals and people. We have zoo trainers that assist with the animal shows to make sure that all proper procedures are followed to keep the animals safe and happy. As for the shows involving people, just do your best to listen to their needs. They know what they need and you’re just here to help.”

“Right,” Jason murmured.

“We actually have the dolphin show coming up if you want to get some hands-on experience?” she asked with a grin.

Jason blinked. “Sure, yeah.”

“Great,” she said. “Follow me.”

They walked up a concealed staircase behind the rocks that bordered the tank and came up on top. From this angle, Jason could see the smaller tanks that bordered the show tank. A handful of people were coaxing one of the dolphins in the tank, while the other one was having its head rubbed.

“Come meet Stella,” she said, walking over to the tank with the dolphin being pet. “Got a newbie here who’s going to be helping with the shows. This is Jason.”

“Hi Jason, I’m Charlie. Do you want to pet her?”

“Sure,” he said, squatting next to Charlie.

“Just reach out and run your fingers over her head. Yeah, just like that.”

Jason smiled as Stella pressed into his hand, chittering happily at the attention.

“Looks like she might have a new favorite,” Charlie chuckled.

Jason smiled. “Hi Stella,” he said softly. “I’m Jason.”

She chittered again, and everyone laughed.

~~

Jason was tired and less overwhelmed as his shift continued into the afternoon.

“Now that you’ve had some experience with the animals, it’s time for the people,” Ashley, now that he was remembering her name, said as they ducked into one of the smaller hallways. “Think you’re getting a handle on things?” she asked as she pulled open another door.

Jason grinned and knew it wasn’t too convincing. “Kind of. I’m not to sure about being able to find my way around through.”

She chuckled. “Don’t worry too much about that. It’ll come in time and as long as you can find your way to the employee lounge that’s all you need to know for now.”

She shut the door behind Jason after he walked through.

“Ashley!”

Jason looked up and found a man standing in what looked to be tight swim trunks.

“Dick,” she greeted, hurrying over to him to accept the hug he offered her.

She giggled as he twirled her around before setting her back on her feet.

“How are you doing today?” he asked.

She hiked a thumb over her shoulder. “Showing the new guy around and we’re here to offer any help you may need for the show.”

He nodded. “Tim’s getting changed into his swim trunks.”

The blood drained from Jason’s face at the familiar name.

“But if you and the new guy want to grab our tails we can head to the tank as soon as we’re done with our makeup and accessories.”

“Perfect,” Ashely said. “This way, Jason.”

“Jason, huh?” Dick said, sliding in front of him as he tried to follow Ashley.

“Uh, yeah?” he said, raising an eyebrow.

He hummed and smiled before walking away. Jason shook his head and followed Ashley to what looked to be a large closet. She pulled open the door and walked inside, Jason following her. He stopped short at the rows of fake tails and other pieces of clothing.

“Woah…” he breathed.

Ashley grinned. “This is where we keep all our costumes and stock for the shows. You’ll probably be in here a lot when it comes to assisting the performers.”

“Okay,” he said with a nod.

“I’m going to take Dick’s blue tail and Tim has that red and orange one there. Just unclasp it from the hanger and be careful. The material’s pretty thick so it won’t tear easily, but it’s best to avoid any chance of them getting ripped or torn since the tails are specific for each performer.”

Jason nodded, hesitant before he reached out to drape the tail across his arms.

“Hey Dick, are the assistants here yet?”

Jason stiffened at the familiar voice and swallowed.

“Yeah, they’re getting the tails for us. You need something?”

“I’ve got a belt that I need to wear today, so I’m just going to make sure they don’t forget-oh.”

Jason blinked as Tim stepped through the doorway and they came face to face. There was a necklace around his throat that highlighted the pale column of skin. Tim smiled, lips pulling up slowly as the orange makeup around his eyes made them shine with mirth.

“Well look who it is,” he said, sidling forward towards Jason.

Jason flushed and shifted on his feet.

“You two know each other?” Ashley asked.

“Not very well,” Tim answered. “We’ve met a couple of times.”

“Oh nice,” Ashley said. “What did you need us to make sure to grab?”

“This,” Tim said, darting over to one of the shelves. He pulled out an orange belt. “I can get it from here though since we’re on our way up to the tank.”

“Sure!” Ashley said, stepping around Jason. “Are you going to need that regularly? Or just for this specific show?”

“I’m actually not sure,” Tim said, walking next to her as Jason followed from behind. “We’re trying it out and depending on how well it holds up in the water it might be a regular piece for the mermaid only shows. Bruce is worried that it could get tangled in the fish if we use it with the sharks or dolphins.”

Ashley nodded. “That makes sense. It does look to be pretty sheer. I can see how it will add to the effect of your tail and your costume, but it doesn’t seem very beneficial.”

“Yeah, it wouldn’t have been my first choice, but the costumers thought it might look nice so we’re trying it out today.”

“Hey! Wait for me!” someone called behind them.

“You’ve got to learn to hurry up, Dick,” Tim said, throwing a smile over his shoulder that had Jason swallowing. “If you stopped spending so much time on your phone with your boyfriend you wouldn’t be left behind.”

Dick pouted and threw an arm around Tim when he caught up. “It’s not my fault his hours are so weird. We’re just trying to make the most of the time we have.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Tim sighed. “I’m sure Jason would buy that story, but what he doesn’t know is that you shouldn’t be trusted considering the work he does is in this very aquarium.”

Jason snickered, and Dick pouted at him.

“See?” Tim said. “Even he agrees with me.”

“The betrayal,” Dick mourned.

Tim rolled his eyes and shoved him off as they got to a set of stairs and climbed up. The hall narrowed, and Jason looked around at the small space. They reached the top in what felt like no time at all and Jason blinked at the wide tank in front of them.

“Woah,” he breathed.

“Pretty cool, huh?” Tim asked, stepping up next to him. “It was amazing the first time I did a show and the allure never completely disappears.”

“It’s amazing. I can’t believe you swim in this thing. I mean, I knew how incredible it looked from the other side, but from here…” he trailed off and shook his head.

Tim cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck, a light dusting of pink coloring his cheeks.

“Tail me, please!” Dick said, dropping to the floor.

Jason glanced at him and how Ashley immediately got to work. “Uh, how do you…?”

“Oh, right,” Tim said. “Let me put on the belt first and if you want to lay out the tail on the mat that would be great.”

Jason knelt, careful of the small splatters of water on the mats and gently stretched out the tail.

Tim sat down at the opening and rolled the waist of the wail back until it was half inside out. He shoved his feet inside, adjusting them in the base before he started to roll the tail over his knees. He made it halfway up his quads before he stopped.

“Okay, Jason, I’m going to need you to roll the tail the rest of the way up and settle it around my waist while I lift my hips, okay?” he asked, looking up at him with his shining blue eyes.

“Right, yeah,” he said, taking hold of the spandex.

Tim laid back on the mat and raised his hips, digging his shoulders into the mat. Jason moved as quickly as he could, getting the material the rest of the way up Tim’s legs. He had to tug and pull to get the tight fabric above Tim’s hips and his ass and Jason fought not to blush at where his hands were.

“There,” he said, pulling his hands away when everything was in place.

Tim let out a breath and lowered his hips, moving to sit up. He tugged and pulled at the waist band, making a few minor adjustments to make it more comfortable. “Thanks,” he said, flashing a smile at Jason.

“Yeah, no problem.” Jason straightened and stepped back. He watched as Tim rolled over onto his stomach and carefully maneuvered over to the edge of the tank. He rolled back onto his back and sat up, dropping the end of the tail into the water. He placed his hands on the edge and pushed himself off, carefully sliding into the water.

“You got the breathers?” he asked, looking at Ashley expectantly.

“Of course,” she said, pulling two small pieces from her pocket. She handed one to Tim and the other to Dick when he dropped into the tank. They stuck them into their noses, Tim sniffling a little after it was in place.

“Thanks,” he said, voice sounding a little funny now that he had something in his nose.

“Aquarium guests,” a voice said over the speakers. “Welcome to today’s mermaid extravaganza.”

“Good luck, boys,” Ashley said, holding out her fist. They each bumped it in turn as the announcements continued. Dick’s name was announced first, and he disappeared under the water, Tim following shortly after.

“Care to watch the show?” Ashley asked when they were gone.

“Are we allowed to do that?”

Ashley grinned. “We’re supposed to be on staff for the duration of the show. They don’t need any props for this one, but if they did we’d take care of that. Come on, you’re going to love this,” she said, heading for another set of stairs.

~~

Jason’s mind was filled with the images of Tim and Dick spinning and swirling in the tank of water. The aquarium had programmed a light show that had shone bright colors in the water as people applauded their tricks.

He noticed how Tim’s belt often got tangled and didn’t work well in the water, but he managed to keep it on during the entire show. He was sure that was more for effect than anything else, keeping the illusion alive for the children in the audience.

Before the show finished, Ashley pulled him back to the mats around the tank as they did their last tricks and waved at the audience before darting out of sight.

“Good job guys,” Ashley said when they broke the surface in front of them.

Dick and Tim smiled, and Jason could see the exhaustion pulling at their features.

“Tired?” Jason asked, crouching down in front of Tim to offer him a hand.

“You have no idea,” Tim admitted, grasping tightly to Jason’s hand.

Jason braced himself and was about to stand up when he thought better of it. “Give me your other hand,” he said.

Tim gave him a curious look but did as asked. Jason planted his feet, keeping his weight centered. He stood and pulled Tim free from the water, setting him on the edge of the tank easily.

Tim blinked at him, gaze flitting from the water and back up to Jason. “How did you…”

Jason grinned and let his hands go. “You need help getting out of that or?”

Tim shook his head and scooted backwards so he could stretch out his legs on the mat. He laid flat and raised his hips, shoving the spandex down around his thighs.

“It’s a lot easier to get out of than into,” he explained as he rolled down the material and pulled his legs free.

Jason busied him with straightening the fabric and laying it across his arms as Tim stretched his arms over his head and shook out his legs.

“Let’s get these hung up,” Ashley said, taking the lead back down the stairs with Dick.

“That belt didn’t look like it worked too well during the show,” Jason commented as they walked through the hall.

“Yeah,” Tim sighed, fingering the material that was still around his waist. “I figured it wouldn’t and I’m sure the costuming team is going to try to come up with something else, but I hope today’s performance was evidence enough that an accessory like this isn’t going to work during a show.”

“I was impressed you managed to keep it on during the whole performance, though,” Jason added. “I would’ve ripped it off after the first time it bunched around your waist.”

Tim flushed and looked away, brushing his wet hair out of his face. “I wanted to but had to keep up appearances.”

“Right,” Jason said as they continued down the hallway. They walked in silence, following Ashley and Dick back through the halls until they reached the dressing room from earlier.

Jason slipped into the costume room with Ashley and she moved over to a rack he hadn’t noticed earlier.

“After the shows we never hang the tails up with the other pieces since they’re wet. There’s a vent over here that slowly dries them, so you just need to slip the tail in like this,” she said, hanging the tails from the fins. “This lets any water that’s stuck inside to drip out and gives it a chance to air out.”

“Okay, sure,” Jason said, copying what she did.

“And that,” she said looking at her watch, “is it for us today.”

“What? Really?” Jason asked.

“Yup! You actually started on a pretty good day since it’s a slower day as far as shows go, but you still got to interact with the animals and people. So, we can head back to the employee lounge and get clocked out and head home. Unless you have any other questions for me?” she asked.

Jason shook his head. “No. Same time tomorrow though?”

“Yup. That’s going to be your regular time to come into work from now on. We’ll meet up in the lounge, unless I’m out for some reason and my replacement will be there to meet you and run through the day’s schedule.”

“Okay, yeah sounds good,” he said, stepping out of the dressing closet ahead of Ashley.

“You boys headed out?” she called towards the closed door.

“Yup,” Dick said, pulling open the door as he walked out, free of makeup and dressed in sweats and a loose tee. “Although knowing Tim he’s probably going to slip around back and lurk in the tech and costume department.”

“Shut up, Dick,” Tim grumbled, stepping around him. “I’m not going to go lurk. Especially not when the belt they gave me has just mysteriously disappeared.”

“You didn’t?” he gasped.

“Did what?” Tim asked innocently, walking towards Jason and the door for the hallway.

Jason raised and eyebrow and nodded appreciatively. Tim ducked his head and Jason thought he saw him bite his lip. Jason turned and pulled the door to the dressing room open, gesturing for Tim to walk through first. He followed after him and Ashley and Dick hung back, Dick grumbling under his breath.

“Hey,” Tim said, breaking the silence between them.

“Yeah?” he asked.

“This may seem kind of weird and out of the blue, but are you…busy after work? I usually go and get dinner and maybe you’d like to join me?”

Jason swallowed and opened his mouth and then closed it, swallowing again. He nodded, and relief flooded Tim’s features.

“Good, uh. Great, yeah,” Tim said, the pink on his cheeks deepening.

~~

After getting some knowing and teasing looks from Ashley and Dick as they parted ways, Tim and Jason found themselves in a small Mom and Pop restaurant tucked away in an alley. Jason watched as Tim pulled his legs up on the seat to sit cross-legged.

Jason pulled two menus from the stand on the table and passed one over to Tim. They sat in silence for a moment and Jason felt a little bewildered, wondering what he was supposed to talk about with the guy he’d first seen in a giant fish tank and now worked with at the aquarium after embarrassing himself in front of him at a coffee shop.

“Um, so…” Jason started, catching Tim’s attention. “I saw you swimming with the sharks the other day. That was really cool.”

Tim grinned. “The sharks are amazing,” he breathed. “Sasha and Ollie are so great to work with and they’re so friendly, too. I love sharks, so it was kind of a dream to get to do a show with them,” he said, laughing and scratching his cheek that had gone red.

“Yeah, when I was on my way out of the aquarium I actually bought one of the shark stuffed animals from the gift shop.”

Tim smiled and bit his lip. He pushed his menu to the side and leaned over the table. “Can I tell you something? As long as you promise not to spread it around to everyone at work. Although they might already know so that’s not the point, but anyway, can I tell you something?”

Jason nodded and matched his posture. “Sure.”

“I probably have a whole collection of shark plushies at home. Whenever they get a new one in the gift shop I can’t help buying it. I don’t even know what I’m going to do with them all. They’re just kind of stacked together in my apartment.”

Jason felt his chest swell with affection at the image of Tim being surrounded by stuffed animal sharks.

“With how much you love sharks, I’m surprised you didn’t go into marine biology or something else like that so you could be around them forever,” he mused.

Tim shrugged. “I never really had that much interest in science. I just thought they were cool. And then when I got the chance to swim with them I couldn’t say no.”

“Were you ever scared?”

“Not really? I was a little anxious when I first got in the tank with them, but it wasn’t really out of a sense of danger, more like I was nervous they wouldn’t like me?” he trailed off with an apologetic smile.

“So, you weren’t afraid they wouldn’t like you and would bite your face off, you were just afraid they wouldn’t like you and wouldn’t want to swim with you?” Jason asked, trying to tamper down his amusement.

Tim flushed. “Well-I mean,” he huffed. “Yeah,” he admitted and sagged against the back of his chair.

Jason chuckled. “I can get that I guess,” he admitted. “It’s like not being liked by another coworker.”

“Exactly,” Tim said, grinning. “Although Bruce never stops worrying when it comes to the sharks.”

“Bruce?” Jason asked.

“What can I get for the two of you?” a woman asked, stepping up next to their table.

“Oh, uh,” Jason said, frantically flipping through his menu. “Classic burger, please,” he said, spotting the first thing he laid his eyes on.

“And to drink?”

“Coke, please.”

“For you?” she asked, turning to Tim.

“The veggie wrap with waffle fries and a coke, too,” he said.

“Coming right up,” she said with a smile before walking off.

“Is it bad that I kind of forgot we were in a restaurant?” Tim asked, sticking their menus back in the stand.

Jason chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. “I was just thinking the same thing actually. But you were saying something about Bruce being nervous about the sharks.”

“Oh yeah,” Tim said with a roll of his eyes. “Bruce makes a lot of tech. He’s the reason we can breathe underwater without tanks. And he’s kind of a surrogate father to me. He’s always working on something to try and account for every worst-case scenario.”

“He cares I guess?” Jason said.

“Yeah,” Tim sighed. “I know he does. But the sharks have worked with countless people before and we’ve adapted to each other at this point. Plus, their handlers are experts and know everything there is to know about sharks. They know when it’s safe to be around them and when they shouldn’t be in a tank with a person for any reason whatsoever.”

Matching glasses of coke appeared at their elbows and Jason took a sip of his drink. “You should introduce me some time,” he said, licking the sugar off his lips.

“To who? Bruce?” Tim asked, wrinkling his nose.

Jason chuckled. “No, to the sharks.”

“Oh,” Tim said and blinked. He grinned. “Sure! I think I’m scheduled to do another show with them in a couple days, but I’m always allowed to stop by and visit during the day, so I can drag you along if you don’t have anything else you have to do.”

“Sounds great,” Jason said with a smile.

Tim blushed and bit his lip.

They both used the appearance of their food as an excuse to gather themselves as they found something else to talk about.

~~

Jason knew he had a goofy smile on his face by the time he walked into his apartment. He’d stayed in the dive with Tim long after they’d finished their lunch to the point they got hungry again and decided to order dessert. They’d talked about everything and nothing and even though they’d parted with nothing more than a hug and a ‘see you soon,’ he was giddy.

Tim was smart and funny and sassy…and Jason didn’t know how he could’ve gotten so lucky as to get a date with him.

Jason bit his lip when he spotted the stuffed shark on his couch. He picked it up as he passed and carried it to his bedroom. He flopped down on top of his bed and clutched the plushie to his chest, burying his face in its head as he smiled.

~~

Jason got to the aquarium early for his shift. He slipped into the gift shop and tried to think of a piece of shark merchandise in there that Tim might not have. Since he didn’t know what Tim had or didn’t have, he decided he’d just wing it and get something he could pass off to him with minimal difficulty.

He picked up one of the smaller stuffed animals that was only a little bigger than his hand and smiled. He could sneak that into Tim’s locker before he had to get changed and leave it for him to find.

Satisfied, he took the plushie over to the register. The worker rung it up without a problem and Jason slid several bills across the counter, taking the small bag and his change before he walked out and crossed to the employee entrance.

He hurried through the halls, passing the lounge which he would backtrack to later to clock in. His memory was a little fuzzy, but he was confident he could find his way back to the changing room. He grinned when he caught sight of the door with the familiar frosted glass.

He paused and listened for any sounds of voices but found it deceptively quiet. Jason placed a hand on the handle and turned it slowly, pushing the door open. He froze when he caught sight of a man with shockingly orange hair staring at him.

“Can I help you?” he asked.

Jason sighed and sagged against the wall. “I…brought something for Tim,” he admitted.

“Oh,” he said and stopped. He squinted at Jason, giving him a long onceover before a wide smile pulled at his lips. “Wait, are you Jason?”

His eyes narrowed. “How do you know about me?”

The man laughed. “Hey babe!” he called.

“What is it?”

Jason swore under his breath and watched as Dick poked his head out of the door leading to the changing rooms. His gaze immediately fell on him.

“Jason?” he asked. “What are you doing here?”

“He says he has something for Tim,” the man continued.

Dick’s shock fell away and he smirked. “Do you now?” he purred, stepping out of the door in a pair of sweatpants.

“It’s none of your business,” Jason hissed, shoving the bag further behind his back.

“It is if you don’t want to look like an idiot,” Dick said, walking over to him. “I’m guessing you brought something to leave for him before his shift. That’s cute. And romantic. But there’s one flaw in your plan?”

“Running into you?” Jason asked.

“No, that’s actually something you need,” Dick said, waving off his comment. “How do you know which locker’s Tim’s?”

“Shit,” he swore.

“Now aren’t you glad that I’m here since I know exactly which locker Tim uses?” he asked, grinning up at him.

Jason sighed. “Fine,” he said, pulling the bag from behind his back. “As long as you help me out.”

“Duh. You two are perfect for each other. There’s no way I’m going to mess that up,” he scoffed, swiping the bag from Jason’s hands to look inside. “Awwww you know about his shark obsession,” he cooed.

Jason’s face flamed. “Yes,” he said through clenched teeth. “Now can you get that in his locker for him?”

“Nope,” Dick answered happily.

Jason froze. “What?”

“All the lockers are padlocked. I don’t know Tim’s combination. But I _can_ make sure that he gets it,” he said with a grin, rolling up the wrapping around the stuffed animal.

“Fine,” Jason sighed. “But it wasn’t from me.”

For some reason, he knew Dick wasn’t going to pass on that particular detail at the grin he was giving him.  

“Just, whatever,” he muttered, turning on his heel to slip back out of the room to go clock in and meet Ashley for the day.

~~

Jason was an anxious ball of energy during his whole shit. Ashley had teased him mercilessly about his nerves even though she didn’t know what he’d done. He worked with the dolphin trainers in the morning and had gotten a peek at the engineering side of things where he ran into a very familiar redhead who smirked at him and introduced himself as Wally.

He’d just finished lunch and was headed back to meet Ashley since they were going to help Tim and Dick with their costumes. His stomach was tying itself in knots just thinking about it.

“Jason!”

He froze, one foot lifted comically in the air before he lowered it to the floor and slowly turned around. Tim was running towards him, cheeks flushed and grin pulling at his lips. The shark he’d bought that morning was cradled in his arm and he slowed, stopping a few feet away from Jason.

“Hi,” he said, breathless.

“Hi,” Jason said, staring down at him.

“I-um…” he started, the color on his cheeks deepening. “Thanks for the shark,” he said, holding out the small stuffed animal in his arms.

“You like it?” Jason asked, feeling his own cheeks heating up.

“Yeah, I do. A lot,” he said with a nervous giggle. He bit his lip, looking a little uncertain before he closed the distance between them. He rocked up on his toes, placing a hand on Jason’s shoulder to keep his balance as he pressed a soft kiss to Jason’s cheek.

Jason stared at him as he stepped back and he cleared his throat.

“Well, I have to go get ready. Have to be in the tanks and all,” Tim said.

“Yeah,” Jason said, smile pulling at his lips. “I know, since I’m…helping today.”

“Oh, okay,” Tim said, staring down at the floor between them, looking about as goofy as Jason felt.

“Jason!”

He jumped at the sound of his name and whirled around to find Ashley striding towards him.

“How was lunch?” she asked as she got closer.

“Good,” he said.

“Ready to-Tim?” She blinked when she caught sight of him. “We were just coming to the changing room.”

“Yeah I kind of figured that out a second ago,” he said, pressing the shark tighter against his side.

“Why don’t we walk back together,” she offered. “Are you ready for the show?”

Tim nodded as they started down the hallway. He placed himself between Jason and Ashley and Jason stared straight ahead, trying to keep his focus on his job as best he could while he was about to explode from happiness.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are loves and appreciated!
> 
> You can find me on [Tumblr](my-one-love-is-music.tumblr.com) and [Twitter](twitter.com/m_o_l_i_m)


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